Ship Collision On The Mississippi River Near New Orleans

A cargo ship heading down the Mississippi River struck another vessel anchored west of New Orleans knocking a huge gash in the anchored vessel, the Coast Guard said. The anchored ship was listing, but the hole was above the water line, and the vessel was not believed to be taking on water, said Chief Petty Officer Veronica Bandrowsky. No injuries were reported.A small boat inspects the Panamanian-flagged Torm Anholt after it collided with the Greek-flagged Zagora near Kenner, La.The vessels were the 712-foot Panamanian-flagged Zagora, which was heading down river at the Kenner Bend area west of New Orleans, and the 737-foot Greek-flagged Torm Anholt, which was at anchor at the time of the collision.Torm AnholtThe Torm Anholt had a 12-foot-high, 6-foot-long gash in its right side 6 to 9 feet above the water line, the Coast Guard said. The ship listed after being struck but the tilt may have been due to a loss of ballast, the Coast Guard said.ZagoraThere were no reports of damage to the Zagora. The Coast Guard established a one-way traffic safety zone in the area, but river traffic was not halted, Bandrowsky said.